Delhi Metro | Metro smart cards can also be use to pay bus fare

New Delhi: Metro commuters will soon be able to pay bus fares using their metro smart card. The common mobility card facility is likely to be made available from Friday to commuters. The announcement was made by State Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.

Gahlot said that from August 24 commuters taking the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses will now be able to pay bus fares using metro smart cards.

The passenger will be required to give his smart card to conductor while hitching a ride. Once the smart card is swiped, the fare will be deducted from the card of the commuter.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the scheme, which was first announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier this year. Now this scheme is finally seeing the light of the day with this facility rolling out on all 5,500 buses. Thought with five months delay, but commuters will rejoice this move.

The decision was taken in a high-level meeting presided by Gahlot. The meeting was held to finalise the date to roll out the service. Managing Director of DTC, Manoj Kumar along with Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) MD M Rajshekhar, MD of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Mangu Singh and officials from transport department were present.

Gahlot has asked the officers to advertise and spread awareness about this smart card payment facility. He has asked to roll out a campaign to make people aware about the common mobility card.

The transport minister asserted that it is important to integrate both the metro and DTC transport systems. He said that both of them are city’s biggest public transport network and with a common mobility card commuters will be able to travel stress free.

According to data available from government, 35 lakh people avail state-run bus services and around 26 lakh people travel via Delhi Metro.

The service which was to be launched in April 1 got delayed as DTC failed to acquire secure access module (SAM) chips from South Korea on time. The chips are necessary to be fitted in each electronic ticketing machine (ETM) to facilitate e-payment.

DTC official shared that over 2,000 chips came in May. Then additional 3,000 chips came recently. The process of integrating took time as DMRC can only calibrate 150ETMs in a single day. The calibration took time.

Darshana Shukla is working with Metro Rail News as Associate Editor (Online) under WfH scheme. She is Freelance Correspondent for Ahmedabad Mirror. She also works as PR & Media Consultant for various media firms and well-connected to media circuits in major metro cities in India.

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